William b



W. B. MONTGOMERY.

GAN OPENER.

Patented Mar. 21, 18 82.

Div/in asses: v

UNITED STATES PATENT Octane.

\VILLIAM B. MONTGOMERY, OF BELAIR, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ELIJAH J. B. WHITTAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,390, dated March 21, 1882.

- Application filed September 5, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LWILLIAM B. ll/IONTGOM- ERY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Belair, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gan-Openers; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the to art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of ref-- erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. My invention relates to a device for uncap ping cans containing fruit, vegetables, oysters, and the like. The device operates by first unsoldering the cap and then removing it by a piercer.

The construction of the device and its mode of operation will first be described, and the invention will then be designated in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a view of the opener, partly in section, showing its mode of operation on a can. Fig. 2 is a view of the handle and cap-picrcer detached from the iron block. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the iron block. Fig. 4 is a side view of the block transverse to the side shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the non.

The letter A designates a block of cast-iron of any approved shape, and of size at the base part, b, to cover an ordinary can-cap. In the present instance the shape of the block at the base is hexagonal, as seen in Fig. 5, and the bottom has a slight central concavity, c. A hole, d, extends in the vertical direction through the block and admits the passage of the piercer-rod E. The lowerend ot'the piercer is pointed, as shown atf, and its upper end is provided with a handle, 9. The object of the sharp point on the lower end of the rod is to penetrate the cap it of the can. The rod, it will 5 be understood, is capable of a vertical movement through the block.

A detachable handle, I, is provided for the block, and consists of two prongs, 76, forming a pair of tongs having a catch, a, at the ex- 5c tremity of each prong. At the upper end of the pair of tongs a hole is provided, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to admit the piecer-rod and permit it to move vertically.

The top part of the iron block has on each of its opposite sides a recess, 19, into which the 5 entire ends of the prongs enter. Each recess has a notch, r, with which the catch a at the extremity of the prongs engages, and by this means the tongs which constitute the detachable handle are secured to the iron block.

The device is operated as follows: The iron block is placed upon a hot stove or in the stove-grate to be heated. The handle I is detached by simply springing the prongs apart, which releases the catches a from the notches 1'. Then the iron block is heated to a temperature sutiicient to melt solder the handle is attached to the block by entering the extremitiesofthe prongs into the recesses p,when the catches a will spring into the notches. 0 The block is now placed over the cap on the top of the can, as indicated in Fig. 1, when the heat of the block will fuse the solder, and thus loosen the cap, and then by pressing on the handle g the piercer-rod is forced through the cap, and the latter may be removed, as it will adhere to the rod.

It will be understood the iron block is not intended to be rotated, and that the rod is to move merely vertically through the block.

Havingdescribed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, in a can-opener, of a metal block to fuse the solder about the can- 85 cap, and a piercer-rod to penetrate the cap and remove it, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a can-opener, of a metal block to-l'use the solder, and a'rod passing freely vertically through the block, having 0 its extremity pointed to penetrate the can-cap, as set forth.

3. The combination, in a can-opener, of a metal block to fuse the solder, a pointed rod to penetrate the can-cap, and a handle attached 5 to the metal block, as set forth.

4. The combination, in PI,'GLI1O[)OD6l,Of a metal block to fuse the solder about the cancap, means to remove the cap, and a detachable handle, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. MONTGOMERY.

Witnesses:

W. H. DALLAM, BZICHARD DALLAM. 

